MALIBRAN

A band that I'd only known previously for their contribution to to the Colossus Magazine/Musea Records 2003 Kalevala project album ("Strani e colore" one of my favorites from that release).

1. "Si Dirà di Me" (12:20) sounds more like something from the Saturday Night Fever or Grease soundtracks. Then the bass kicks in and the flute is given the front role of establishing the melody lines which are then taken up by vocalist Giuseppe Scaravilli. The sound engineering is not great--some of the instruments feel/sound as if they're in different universes from the others--and the level of compositional complexity is not very high--high enough, though, to more than qualify as prog rock. Stylistic shift at 4:40 retains key and melodic structure previously established but with a different flavor--but then it very quickly shifts back into the slower, simpler motif previously established. These two motifs alternate, back and forth, over the next two and a half minutes before we are taken down a quiet bridge to a more funky, "Politics of Dancing" part of town. The drumming and bass throughout have been pretty engaging. Nice. At 9:10 we are given another interesting bridge, this time leading us to a section with a more Neo Prog song palette. Nice guitar work in the solo section: emotional. (21.5/25)

2. "Oltre l'Ignoto" (8:03) opens with a "Watcher of the Skies" emulation minus the organ intro. The imitation is, for my mind, too close to the original. When the music settles into a pleasant foundation at the 2:00 mark, the vocals enter, giving it its own distinct RPI flavor. Again, the vocals are mixed very poorly into the music. Besides the replication of the intricate rhythmic opening, nothing very special here. (12/15)

3. "L'Incontro" (2:48) delicately picked guitars with bass lead into delicate singing. Electric guitar, violin, and cello join in. This is very pretty. Perhaps this is more of the direction the band should pursue: the Celeste/Aisles/Maxophone style. (9.5/10)

4. "Cerchio Mobile" (5:14) interesting 1970/80s pop-jazz-techno fusion sound palette woven into this one. It works! I like this ? a lot. Again that FIXX/Re-FLEX/JOHNNY HATES JAZZ palette is one I've always liked. This seals my argument for those mentioned bands being included in Prog World. (9/10)

5. "La Via d'Acqua" (2:52) based around strummed and picked guitars, here is another song with more of a gentle, pastoral, Prog Folk palette--and it's an instrumental. It's nice though it never really shifts into third gear (which is why I've relegated it to the five point system). (4.25/5)

6. "Verso Sud" (2:12) composed as a solo acoustic guitar piece to which bass and multiple harmonized voices are added (and, later, hand percussives). Nice. (4.25/5)

7. "Mare Calmo" (4:50) bag to brooding prog--though still from an acoustic orientation (arpeggiating Steve Hackett- like guitar). Slide guitar solos over the top in the second minute before heavily effected volume-pedaled electric guitar joins in. (8/10)

8. "In Viaggio" (14:24) classic RPI in the MUSEO ROSENBACH vein (lots of Uriah Heep similarities: electric power chords, Hammond organ, aggressive singing). Nice drumming. The middle section sounds more modern (80s BON JOVI). At 5:40 there is a dynamic bridge shifting us into a bass-drum-pounding passage to support some Ian Anderson-like flute play, but this is abruptly ended for a synth piano section reminding me of the work for the Colossus/Musea Dante's Divine Comedy albums (to which Malibran had previously contributed--to the 2003 Kalevala project). Nice "tribute music." (26/30)

Total Time: 48:19

A lot of nice instrumental palettes presented here; not all of them feel fully explored or developed. The vocals are good, though recorded and mixed oddly. I have to say that I like this music overall very much; I just don't feel it's always finished or consistent in its professionalism. The two epics bookending the album are exceptions to this judgment however they seem to be trying to do more to replicate or honor previous styles than present more of the band's own softer, more pastoral predilections. Personally, I'd like to see them explore more of this latter style and less of the "classic" RPI bands.

B/four stars; an excellent addition to any RPI lover's music collection and probably valuable to other prog lovers as well.

This prolific Italian progrock band is rooted in 1987, 3 years later the band released their well received debut album entitled The Wood Of Tales. I bought it that year as a LP and remember that the music was described as Jethro Tull influenced (due to the flute traverse work). During the years Malibran released a serie of studio ? and live albums, a DVD and a few box sets. This review is about their last album entitled Trasparenze from 2009.

Although this album is presented as a Malibran CD, it also contains the message on the front ? and back cover "A new musical project by Guiseppe Scaravilli". He is one of the prime movers of the band and has invited other Malibran members Jerry Litrico (synth guitar and guitars) and Alessio Scaravelli (drums), along 'special guest' musicians Giancarlo Cutuli (saxophone on 2 tracks) and Toni Granata (violin on 3 tracks).

Most of the 11 compositions on Trasparenze sound dreamy and mellow featuring warm twanging acoustic guitar, pleasant Italian vocals, cheerful flute work. And in some songs soli on saxophone, acoustic guitar, violin (long and very compelling evoking JL Ponty in Volo Magico), electric guitar (jazzy inspired in Nel Ricordo) or synthesizer (flashy in Pioggia Di Maggio).

The two epic tracks (around 13 minutes) contains lots of flowing shifting moods with wonderful solos on electric guitar (sensitive with howling runs) and a delicate colouring with flute and acoustic guitar:

Trasparenze : Jethro Tull-like flute play and Mike Oldfield-oriented atmosphere.

Pensieri Fragili : powerful saxophone and heavy electric guitar riffs.

My favourite songs are Vento D'Oriente (Arabian climate with great contrast between a sultry violin and harder- edged electric guitar) and Presagio (strong build-up with exciting work on guitar and keyboards and even some prog metal).

Although the balance is a bit more on the mellow side, this new Malibran album succeeds to keep my attention. It sounds very pleasant (especially the twanging acoustic guitars) and melodic with very strong soli on the electric guitar.

My rating: 3,5 star.

Trasparenze is the fifth studio album by Malibran, a band from Catania whose roots date back to 1987. It was released in 2009 on the independent label Electromantic, more than seven years after its predecessor Oltre l'ignoto. Although it was originally conceived as a solo project of the leader and multi-instrumentalist Giuseppe Scaravilli, later other members of the band joined him during the recording sessions and eventually this excellent work was released under the name Malibran with a line up featuring Giuseppe Scaravilli (vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, flute, bass, keyboards), Jerry Litrico (guitar) and Alessio Scaravilli (drums) plus the guests Giancarlo Cutuli (sax) and Toni Granata (violin). Of course, here composer and lyricist Giuseppe Scaravilli does the lion's share playing almost all the instruments but the result is in perfect continuity with the band sound. In the booklet you can find extended liner notes that explain the genesis of each track while the art cover is taken from a painting by Karl Friedrich Schinkel that in some way describes the spirit of this work...

The opener is the title track, "Trasparenze" (Transparencies), a complex suite with many changes in rhythm and mood featuring some passages that could recall Genesis or Jethro Tull. It's about the passing of time... All along your life there's something or someone that attracts you and shows you the way you have to follow with its perfumes and its fire. You have to go on and on as your age flows away like a short poem, between dreams and reality, led by your will and by the flames of that fire...

Next comes the dreamy "In un attimo" (In a while). It starts with strummed guitar and flute, then the music and lyrics conjure up a long awaited, timeless moment of peace. You have in front of you a white canvas that your are going to fill with the colours of your dreams... You are painting a magic landscape and your soul is flying over there. Your troubles are left behind and you can smile, forgetting for a moment all the problems of everyday life, your mind is already over there...

"Vento d'Oriente" (Wind from the East) features a mysterious, exotic flavour. Heavy electric guitar riffs are mixed with Mediterranean influences while the music and lyrics evoke distant deserts and ancient sands, lost identities and empty realities. Listen to the voice of the wind blowing from the East, it carries echoes of ancient songs and whispers mysterious charms...

"Presagio" (Omen) alternates calm, pastoral sections to heavy riffs and Latin rock passages. It tells of obscure presages looming on the horizon like the thundering sound of the rapids ahead while you are swimming on the calm waters of a river, cradled by the current. Well, you've better keep calm and fight against all the adversities of life without fear...

"Pioggia di maggio" (Rain of May) is a beautiful, dreamy instrumental track full of soaring, delicate melodies. It leads to "La marea" (The tide) that tells in music and words of the contrast between the need to go away searching for a better way of life and the responsibilities that prevent you from leaving, keeping you tightly bound to your routine. You know you have to stay but you feel a strange emptiness growing inside you, maybe one day or another you'll turn your glance back and you'll start running after an idea, following dreams and ideals, drifting with the tide towards new horizons...

"Nel Ricordo" (In the memory) is about the power of fate. Your future turns around you like a dark shadow from whom you can't escape, you'll soon forget who you are because you're already changing and moving forward, you can't help it! The days and the nights you spent are like circles in the water that soon will fade away, the past is going to melt in your memory, you can't cheat on destiny...

"Volo Magico" (Magic flight) is a short instrumental track that conveys a strange sense of mystery. You can hear the sound of the bumblebees around you as you're flying from flower to flower under the charm of exotic perfumes and colourful landscapes... It leads to the nocturnal atmospheres of "Promesse vane" (Vain promises), a piece about a man who feels like an eternal boy and finds difficult to accept his everyday life and the burden of time passing by. Where are the promises of his childhood, what is left of his old dreams? He's burning out and nothing but his fantasy and imagination can set him free from the metaphorical chains of reality and make him happy, at least for a while...

The short, dreamy "Gioco di specchi" (Game of mirrors) is a nice instrumental track that introduces the wonderful suite that closes the album, "Pensieri fragili" (Fragile thoughts), a long, complex piece that every now and again recalls Arti & Mestieri and begins by the sound of a pouring rain... Here the music and lyrics take you back in time to World War I, in a trench along the front between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Under the rain the thoughts of a young infantry soldier unfurl while the water washes away a desperate night of waiting. Around the soldier there is nothing but mud and fog but he dreams of enchanted valleys and smiling faces that now seem just faded memories... A thousands eyes observe the human fragility from the sky, the soldier feels that the real enemy is inside him, he wants to give up not because of cowardice but because he feels that this war is not his own business. He doesn't care about honour and glory and in the fog he gets stealthily out of his shelter and runs for his life, disappearing in the rain...

On the whole, I think that this is a wonderful album without weak moments that will not disappoint Italianprog fans...

By 2005 the degradation of Malibran was completed.Giuseppe Scaravilli was practically the only remaining member of the band, but -instead of calling it quits- his desire for progressive music led him to the Tower Hills Studios in Belpasso at the end of 2006 for the recordings of a new album.Former members Jerry Litrico, Alessio Scaravilli and Giancarlo Cutuli helped him on some tracks along with Toni Granata, who provided violin duties in three pieces.The whole process ended in 2007 and all liner notes were written by Giuseppe Scaravilli in the same year, but the album would not find a release home until 2009, when Electromantic Music decided to give Malibran's new effort a chance.The man handled most of guitars, keyboards, flutes, bass parts and vocals in this work.

This was definitely Malibran's most uneven effort ever, no wonder with Scaravilli being the left-alone person for this whole work.The compositions date from mid-90's unreleased stuff to tracks written during the period of the recordings.Musically this is a weird album.The two longest pieces, the eponymous one and ''Pensieri fragili'', co-written by Jerry Litrico are good, old Malibran at their very best.Folky Symphonic Rock with sensitive Italian vocals, laid-back tunes and pastoral flutes, occasionally interrupted by nice electric guitars and atmospheric keyboards, creating emotions somewhere between melancholy and drama and a fine balance between melodious and atmospheric soundscapes with smooth interplays placed here and there.The rest of the album finds Scaravilli in a bit of confusion.Most of them maintain the folky atmosphere, flavored by more Singer/Songwriter stylings and less proggy influences, based on mellow acoustic lines, flutes and poetic vocals.These pieces though are often colored by sax, violin and keyboards for a more artistic approach.CELESTE are among the groups to spring to mind.Malibran were not known for massive electric riffs, but a few tracks in ''Trasparenze'' display the more attacking side of Scaravilli with powerful guitars and strong rhythmic tunes, definitely the less interesting material of the album.The man though has done a great job overall to keep the spirit of the band alive along the lines of Classic Italian Prog ala PFM and LOCANDA DELLE FATTE, even if the folky side is more pronounced.

A new album is yet to be desired.Malibran remained active for sometime regarding their live performances and the driving force named Giuseppe Scaravilli reputedly had tons of material ready to be released, but their absence from the recent scene make it rather questionable.

''Trasparenze'' finds Malibran reduced and generally more relaxed, even if the addition of a pair of heavier tracks is also displayed.Pastoral Symphonic/Folk Rock, based mainly on acoustic guitars, keyboards and flutes.Smooth, emotional and recommended music.

The new millenium officially found Malibran in a transitional period with Torrisi and Cutuli out of the band.Still they had a contract with Mellow Records and, instead of a regular studio album, the undisputed leader of the group Giuseppe Scaravilli returned with a compilation of tracks, covering the history of Malibran and containing rare live recordings, unreleased material and a few covers.This compilation was released in 2003 under the title ''Strani colori''.

This is a very interesting CD actually with a great photo gallery, covering Malibran's journey through the ages, but also musically the album stands quite strong.Most of the unreleased tracks are either solo performances by Scaravilli or products of the new reduced line-up and range from melancholic Italian Symphonic Rock with smooth guitars, flutes and keyboards to acoustic textures with a folky edge, the quality is very nice and the compositions are really decent, though not the best among Malibran's discography.For those not aware of the sound, imagine HOSTSONATEN and FINISTERRE both on stage.Some of the well-known Malibran's tracks like an instrumental version of ''The wood of tales'' or ''La Stagione Del Re'' along with unknown material have been captured live from early-90's and it is always a good thing to listen to Malibran's delicate and dramatic sound in a live performance, not to say that the compositions are great.The album contains also some cover songs like ''Rhayader'' by Camel, '' Cause We've Ended As Lovers'' by Jeff Beck or even ''Bouree'' by Ian Anderson in an effort by Scaravilli to add a slight Malibran flavor in these without any amazing result, as most of them are kept as they were.

Nevertheless this is an interesting Malibran collection, which contains enough material to make also a dedicated fan of the band purchase it.An album full of Italian romance and tradition and a nice addition for fans of Italian Prog, Symphonic Rock or Folk Rock.

After ''La citta sul lago'' several official and unofficial rare studio/live recordings of Malibran saw the light like ''Raccolta 1990 - 1998'' (1998),''In concerto'' and ''Rari ed Inediti'' (both from 2000).In the meantime Malibran even toured in the USA with Giancarlo Cutuli and Benny Torrisi announcing their departure shortly after.So the fourth studio work of Malibran was a bit of an adventure,partly recorded by the whole band and partly recorded by Giuseppe Scaravilli alone.The new album, entitled ''Oltre l'ignoto'', was finally released on Mellow Records,with the band already shortened to a quartet.

Despite the difficult situation the band was going through,''Oltre l'ignoto'' sees Malibran fresh and inspired and fortunately the whole album is sung in Italian for the first time,leaving the dull English vocals behind for good.Musically the album follows the same vein as with ''''La citta sul lago'',their sound is more modern compared to the early days,but still their musicianship has a strong retro influence.Alternating between symphonic arrangements with powerful organ,harmonic flutes and sensitive guitar work and more Neo-Proggish moments with floating synthesizers and strong guitar solos,Malibran are still alive and well,offering some splendid moments among the overall decent stuff of the album,especially in the longer tracks.There are also plenty of acoustic passages with the support of violin,cello and smooth bass to give a sort of dreamy feeling to the album.However a few negative points are still present,apart from their early sound nostalgia.The sparse electronic effects and the distorted guitar at moments seem rather useless,still for the first time Malibran's vocals belong among the highlights of the album.

Another more than decent Malibran release,not so close to their early masterpieces, but a step forward from the previous album.Anyone into modern Italian Symphonic Rock,who does enjoy also some vintage passages,should simply purchase this.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

Malibran is one of the bigger names in the nineties' resurgence of Italian progressive rock, and this 1990 debut is the album that put them on the map for prog fans worldwide. The Wood of Tales is an interesting, but flawed, concoction of neo-prog, Italian symphonic prog, and even a few dashes of progressive folk. Flute plays a major part in Malibran's debut, and I love how the instrument is presented as an integral part of their sound - other than that, The Wood of Tales is characterized by the mix of pastoral symphonic prog and eighties' neo-prog that inspired many Italian prog bands around this era. The Wood of Tales is not a flawless gem that's been forgotten by the sands of time, but it's a solid debut that should satisfy most Italian prog enthusiasts.

The easiest comparisons to draw when talking about this album are probably Premiata Forneria Marconi, IQ, and even a bit of Jethro Tull (the flute-led sections make this comparison almost inevitable). The Wood of Tales is a mainly instrumental album, but there are a handful of vocal sections that ultimately leave me with a lukewarm impression. At least on this album, Giuseppe Scaravilli is not the most gifted vocalist and his singing parts come across as detrimental to the compositions. While he's far from an atrocious vocalist, the album would've been a bit better had it been fully instrumental. After all, The Wood of Tales does have plenty of excellent moments of symphonic prog - though there aren't any killer tracks here, Malibran was still a group of gifted songwriters from the beginning. The musicianship on this debut is also quite impressive, and every musician delivers their part with finesse.

While it may seem that The Wood of Tales is a near-flawless album after reading the first two paragraphs of my review, I've yet to mention that the album has a pretty weak production. The sound is simply muddy and unpolished, and the occasional 'buzzing' noises and uneven mix really don't do the album any justice. It's not unlistenable or anything like that, but The Wood of Tales definitely would've left a better impression if the production were up to par with the music.

The Wood of Tales is a flawed, but ultimately promising, debut from one of the biggest names in nineties' Italian progressive rock. Malibran offered plenty of cool ideas and solid compositions with this effort, and I'll be curious to hear what that's led them to create on future albums. Though not essential by any means, The Wood of Tales is a solid observation worthy of 3 stars. Fans of symphonic prog may want to check out this somewhat obscure classic.

Third and longest album by Malibran,these time my feelings are a bit mixed up.While the band still presents their deep-rooted 70's influenced music,the whole album sounds more modern,losing some of the magic of their previous releases.The vocals remain a problem,they are very flat and atonal,while on the English lyrics they are hillarious.On the other hand,the musicianship keeps going at the high level.Pastoral flute parts,dreamy solos and symphonic keys all the way.The addition of the sax makes the album more varied and eclectic,but I do not think it is for its own good,as the band lost some of their identity.

Overall the tracks sound less symphonic and complicated compared to the past,focusing mainly on melody and atmosphere.Still the albums is a good example of modern Italian Prog with big-time retro-inspirations and comes (even that way) recommended.

A debut album, no less/no more.

Malibran from Sicily, Italy has managed to release a considerable amount of good albums and they have earned themselves a good reputation. A reputation which started with this album.

The music here is both a dominated by the flutes and some guitars at the end. The sound is the typical neo-prog sound. This mostly due to the guitars and the vocals which reminds me a lot about the British neo-prog sound from the 1980s. The English vocals is also a contributing factor to the British sound on this album.

The songs are on average good with some really superb melody lines scattered around. The guitar solos on the final track Prelude means the album ends on an untraditional manner, this being an RPI album. Which neatly brings me to.......

This is not a traditional RPI album by any means, but The Wood Of Tales still has enough DNA material to fit into this scene. But most of all; this is a debut album with all it's traditional ills. And it is a good album by all standards. I have my gripes with the vocals and the lack of any truly great songs. But besides of this, The Wood Of Tales is well worth checking out.

3 stars

Malibran is a modern Italian band that deserves more exposure here on ProgArchives. Their music is reminiscent of classic '70s RPI and their third studio album, La Citta Sul Lago (1998), contains the usual trademark Malibran elements and includes references to metal, space-rock, jazz and Eastern music. The band benefits from the twin guitars of Giuseppe Scaravilli and Jerry Litrico, while Giancarlo Cutuli's flute-play is exquisite as always although his saxophone possibly surpasses it on this album.

There are a total of ten tracks that alternate between songs and instrumentals. The main standouts among these are the three epic tracks that run consecutively on the first half of the album. NUOVO REGNO features some lustrous sax and flute, although it's the killer guitar riffs and stampeding drums that really impress. Two songs on the album contain English- language vocals and the 2-part IN THE TIME is the stronger of the two. It contrasts the tranquillity of mellow flute, piano and vocals with the pyrotechnics of metal-infused guitar and drums. Sandwiched between these two songs is the 10-minute title track. UK giants Camel, Jethro Tull and Genesis clearly influenced much of Malibran's work, but during the first section of this multi-part instrumental there's a definite Focus vibe. The second section heads into space-rock territory with its mellow sax and wah wah guitar. While these three are worthy of special mention, there's not really a bad track on the album.

Overall, La Citta Sul Lago is good but not essential. While its first half is excellent, the second half isn't quite as strong. Malibran albums are generally quite lengthy affairs and this one is just short of the 70-minute mark, so perhaps it would have benefited from a tighter focus. It would still make a nice addition to any RPI collection, but there are other Malibran albums that might be worth checking-out first.